Talent
by WeretigerPrincess
Summary: The Exemplars may think they have won Talennia for themselves, but the days of war have not ended yet. Stella Mason, raised human like all the other Exemplars, meets Jarrett- a Talent with elemental abilities. Her whole world is shaken when she uncovers facts about her family's past that places her in the middle of an inter-species battlefield.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is one of those stories where I'm not sure whether it can be made into an actual book or not, cause all the characters are my OCs, but the inspiration comes from Xmen. I have already written 24 chapters of the story, but in first person, and am thinking of converting it to third person after the first two chapters, but it probably will stay in first person :) Now to the story... Enjoy :D**

It's amazing how the sun is always at just the right angle in the morning to shimmer through the heavy night-tone drapes that stand to attention at my window. That tiny, beautiful sliver of light that penetrates the dark ocean. The moment is always short-lived, though. This has been my cue to get up since I started school. I dodge the bed frame as I stagger towards the dresser. Dad , as usual, is posing endlessly in his army uniform, framed with wood and the words: "In loving memory."

He must have been a great soldier, fighting in the talent war back before I could remember. I check the reflection in the mirror to see the waves of brunette-mahogany curls embracing the face keeping sharp blue-grey irises in place. After wrestling my closet for something to wear: blue jeans and a longish top. I made my way grudgingly towards the kitchen where Olivia, my mum, was watching the news. She sat up at my presence, the façade she used whenever in public.

" Originals are still in power. That should keep me my job for the next six months."

Olivia always seemed to drag a haunted expression around with her. No guessing what she was talking about-the rare times she makes conversation with me, it's always about the ongoing separation between humans and talents, talents being humans with abnormal abilities. Apparently they are getting weaker lately, or that what I've heard mum telling herself on occasion. I would never admit it to mum, but they are far from incompetent. Just about the only link the talents have with society is their strength in numbers. I really admire that- I wasn't strong enough to argue with the mother who only says a few words to me a day, her and my grandmother both.

"Take your pill, it's on the side." She murmurs from the sofa.

I gulp down the sickeningly white capsule and made for the exit towards the back door and school. School's not the best, but it's an escape from home. And after that is work at the Hospital. There, they admit both human and talent patients who are often in fights to the death between the two 'races'. It's just pathetic- they're hardly different, the talents. Maybe even better than us humans because they hardly ever use their abilities to harm. On my shift, I sought out my colleague Sky, who is almost as good a carer as I am; she always knows how to help. And me? I don't really know, although I do get the odd stares from the talent patients and male nurses. When I found Sky, she was handing out invitations. I knew they were for the party she threw every month for no apparent reason. She'd always invited me to them, but didn't expect me to go. This one, she pretty much threatened me into going. She said it would be worth it. Hate it when she is this mysterious. It's dangerous. She knows almost everything about me- from my societal views to my anti-hyperactivity tablets, and especially my low tolerance for surprises. Sky lunged me a clean peach envelope giving me a look full of hazardous mischief. I ripped it open immediately.

**_Staal's Beach Restaurant_**

21st November

8pm

Come enjoy yourself!

P.S.: Stella, wear something nice, please!


	2. Chapter 2

**Yay! Chapter 2! Again, All characters are my Oc's, The idea of it comes from Xmen movies :) Anyway, happy reading :)**

Listen to them up on the deck. Laughing, having fun. You'd never think there were issues in the world at all, the way they are guzzling wine. That stuff would probably cost a year of wages, by the look of its consumers. I wouldn't want to drink it, though. Good things go wrong when there's too much wine involved, and restarting the Talent war by just by being stupid...let's say that people wouldn't put it past me. If I wished, I could wrap this entire inter-bay ferry in a blanket of fire, and I'd be in the centre of it, unscortched and not drowned by the water, because that's my category. A Talent.

Talennia used to be a great place of freedom for us and others. Before the last chief of the Talents, Thunderstrike, died living in the human part of the bay, he put my parents in charge for the time it took to raise a new and his father fought to keep the island rightfully belonging to Talents. His father died in the battle, and because they showed so much strength during that short feud, the humans banished all Talents to the other side of what now is a boundary mountain. Not that it matters. On Talennia, there are only two sides, and Talents are the lowest of the two. The rats of the island. That is the Law.

But if I'm going to be labelled a rat, it should come with the attitude of one. I need to be ready to fight for my home if need innocent child is long gone. In its stead there is an 18 year old with eagerness to change the world. Looking down at my hands, the glossy pink patches uprooted memories of the years where I tried using fire for the first time, and the bruises from the rocks, the numerous falling from heights I didn't know how I got to in the first place. I had absolutely no control.

Many talents have only one or two things around them which they are able to work, so you could say that my sister and I hit a jackpot while swimming in the gene pool. Me, able to manipulate the four elements: Fire; Water; Earth and Air. And her with beautiful sleek wings of an Eagle Owl and telepathy so strong that she'd get into my mind from soaring 30 kilometres in the air. She also had a small amount of persuasion, which could do very well at this moment to 'convince' those people up on deck to quit pouring alcohol into the kiln. After this, my night only gets worse, my sister has planned a party for all her human hospital buddies, and don't I have any clues how she persuaded me to come, with all her powers gone. She isn't even classified as 'Talent' anymore.


	3. Jarrett

**Sorry for the long wait, but, you know- life, school, homework and all that :/ I know this is quite a short chappie but non the less it's here :) Enjoy :)**

I found the place easy enough. The telltale signs of Sky's work was visible from the start of boundary mountain. Strings of mini chinese lanterns choked the caramel weather boards, showering the nearby carpark with a unique pink glow. The one side facing the sea was frameless, only fractured glass and a varnished patio that reached to the waves. I was starting to think of aborting my decision to attend this party, then I looked around. Apart from the old building, there was nothing. No other buildings, no people, no noise. No leaders telling you what to do and what to think. No prejudice.

Just silence.

Making a note of this place, in case I needed another escape from home, I strolled through the doors of the restaurant. Why it was called a restaurant, I do not know. 'Small-scale rock concert in a bar' is a more suited title, it reeked party mode. Burning dust from too many lights, perfume, salty driftwood and sweat from the band members. I walked over to the counter, where a bored server looked confused when I ordered a coke. Not my problem if he doesn't like a clear head in the morning.

I hadn't finished with the third sip before Sky yells my name over the band, _is that even possible?_ She beckoned me across the room to where she stood next to a tallish boy with soot-covered clothes and hair that reflected the colour of the lights. He accepted my hello with a reserved handshake while Sky introduced him as her older brother, Jarrett Larkspur. Unlike his sister's jet black, his sandy hair hangs loose and raggedy just above the corner of his jaw, hints of the soot intwined in it. Underneath a short fringe, his muddy eyes searched mine for any signs of danger. _What is he trying to hide?_ Sky interrupted the thought, obviously weary of us both.

"Since you two are the only ones in the room not in the party mood, go take a walk on the beach or something so you don't spoil anyone else's mood. It'll do you good." She said this with irritated hand gestures. Jarrett opened his mouth to protest. If he had not, then I would've. His little sister gave him a glance filled with warning, a glare that would freeze an ocean. "And don't start anything that gets me into prison, or even worse, me having to drag you home."

He just rolled his eyes, I guessed in surrender.

I felt sorry for him. Having Sky Larkspur for a sister wouldn't be everyone's choice. Jarrett turned towards me when Sky disappeared into the small crowd, and gave a half smile. Then he carried on out the mummified door onto Sniper's Beach, leaving the door open for me to watch him decend the sandbank on the other side. I obviously had to follow.


End file.
